Minster council considers Nidec tax abatement

MINSTER – Minster Village Council approved two first readings at a recent meeting last night.

First, they approved a bid to build the new Northwest Electrical Substation project and, second, they voted to allow an enterprise zone agreement with Nidec Minster Corp.

The newest electrical substation bid totaled $1,646,000 and was submitted by Delta Star of Canada. Mike Kiser, Encompass Engineering representative, said that the winning bid was not the lowest, but offered the best value and was within 1.5 percent of their estimates.

For example, the transformer in the package will be filled with slightly more expensive ester oil rather than mineral oil. He said ester oil has a higher flash point, reducing the chance of explosion. Another advantage of the bid is that, when completed, all three of the village’s substations will be almost identical in equipment, allowing easy exchange of parts in case repairs are needed.

Finally, it was agreed that Delta Star had a good record of prompt response when there were problems with the other substations. It was also noted that there would be no tariff fees on the Canadian import, because Delta’s main facility is in the United States.

Kiser also noted that the bid package did not cover the anticipated costs for the supporting infrastructure. The steel package was estimated to cost $120,000, and the foundation work would cost approximately $150,000.

Also approved was the first reading of an ordinance to allow Nidec Minster Corp. a 43 percent tax abatement for five years, which would total $284,560 in tax savings. Nidec requested the abatement as part of their plan to build a $6.5 million, 20,750 square-foot addition to their property. Village Administrator Don Harrod said the new addition would result in 25 new jobs with a $1.2 million annual payroll. He also said the school district would still receive its share of the taxes, which would total $319,063 over five years. Nidec deferred on an original request of a 75 percent abatement, since the company would have been expected to donate the appropriate amount to the school district. The company decided they did not want to have that donation on their books.

Council also approved a first reading of a resolution declaring it necessary to improve Second Street from Garfield Street to the Miami Erie Canal. Harrod explained that this is part of the Northwest Sanitary Sewer Project, anticipated to cost $2.4 million dollars.

Construction to install sewer lines down Second Street from Garfield to Canal streets is anticipated to begin late this year and planned to be completed by Octoberfest next year. Harrod said because sewer lines will have to be laid up to 25 feet down, it will be necessary to reconstruct all curbs, gutters and sidewalks along Second Street, with the property owners being assessed for this portion of this work. Aged waterlines would also be replaced. Harrod said letters will be sent to the affected property owners so that they can come in to look at the plans.

Council also approved second reading of an ordinance establishing policy on the installation of small cell technology in village right of way. Harrod said some small changes recommenced by the FCC were to reduce the approval from 90 to 60 days and to limit the application fee to $100.

Also approved were a first reading of an ordinance to make the intersection of Hamilton and Fifth streets a four-way stop and a third reading of an ordinance limiting the use of firearms within the corporation limits. They also approved the annual request by the Auglaize County engineer for a $5 permissive license plate fee.

Parks Committee Chairman Tom Herkenhoff reminded residents living around the Minster Machine and Octoberfest parks that leaves from their properties should not be placed in those park areas. He thanked residents for their general cooperation in regards to leaf pickup, but said letters would be sent to those residents who are dumping leaves in these public spaces.

In his report to the council, Harrod said the 750,000-gallon water tower was cleaned last week, including removal of the mold and mildew that accumulated around the bottom of the tank. The company that cleaned the tank used a chemical to remove the mold and mildew spores, then rinsed the tank and applied another chemical that would impede the growth of new mold and mildew.

Leaf pick-up continues to occur on a daily basis with crews out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He said on Wednesdays, the village is helping New Bremen with their leaf pick-up, since their leaf pick-up machine was destroyed in an accident.

He reported that a set of bearings on the Orbital equipment at the Waste Water Treatment Plant failed, which damaged the shaft that spins the disks to keep things mixed. New components are expected to arrive within the next couple of weeks.

Finally, Harrod said the new swing set had been installed at the Four Seasons Park. The unit includes a combination adult and toddler swing.

Council also approved an invoice of $12,000 from Homan Stucke for sidewalk work. Harrod said they expected to recoup most of that expense in assessments to residents. Total invoices for the period were $1,313,932.62.

Also, council agreed to the promotion of Andy Roetgerman from a temporary to full-time permanent position. He would be paid $16.25 per hour.